Vehicles, such as cars and motorcycles, commonly include a plethora of switches. Each switch can serve as an input associated with a network that includes a detection circuit, a microcontroller, and an actuator. In some examples, the switch detection circuit has three primary functions: provide a wetting current to the switch contacts, monitoring the switch, and alerting the microcontroller of any change in switch state (i.e., open to closed or closed to open). By example, a window lift switch is depressed, sensed by a detection circuit that communicates to a microcontroller that enables an actuator to open or close the window. These systems must operate continuously, both when the engine is running and when the engine is off. During operation of the vehicle, energy is abundant. When the vehicle is not being used, it is still necessary to monitor switch states and it is advantageous to limit the current drain on the battery, because only a limited amount of energy (coulombs) is available before a vehicle battery is depleted and the vehicle will not start. To conserve energy during non-operation of the vehicle, under certain conditions the switch detection device is configured to enter a low power mode. When the switch detection device is in low power mode, the microcontroller unit shuts down most of its functions and the switch detection device ceases to continuously monitor the status of the switches. Instead, the switch detection device samples or polls switch states. Sampling rate is set by a polling timer. Current drain on the battery includes the wetting current or load current applied to the switch, and the quiescent current of the switch detection circuit necessary for its operation. When the timer reaches a predetermined time, the switch detection device activates and turns on internal current sources (wetting current) and comparators (switch detection) for a sampling period. Voltages detected at the input of the comparators are compared with a threshold voltage. At the end of the sampling period, the value output by the comparators is either a high or a low output, indicating the switches are closed or open. The closed/open state of the switches is compared with the previously recorded state to determine if a change in state has occurred. If a switch has changed state, then a signal is generated to wake up the microcontroller unit and the switch detection device begins to continuously monitor the switches again in normal mode.